DENVER - The Denver Office of the Medical Examiner identified the woman who died after a light rail train hit her on Tuesday. Friends say the victim was headed to her own birthday celebration.
Jessica Lubken, 26, (known as Jessa) died at Denver Health Medical Center. It is unknown at this time her official cause and manner of death, but the coroner will conduct an autopsy to determine that.
Lubken died after being dragged by the RTD light rail train at 24th and Welton streets.
Witnesses say Lubken appeared to be intoxicated and was standing in front of the train trying to get the driver to let her on.
Her boyfriend's mother, Hedy Anselman, told 9NEWS Lubken was trying to get on a train to go meet a friend to celebrate Lubken's birthday. Lubken turned 26 on Tuesday.
She said Lubken has gotten on and off the train at 24th and Welton streets before and would like RTD to make it an official stop.
"I say, if it's a common practice, as it was shown yesterday, make it safe, make it a stop," Anselman said.
Passengers tell 9NEWS the driver made a motion to Lubken, but it is unclear if it was meant to signal for Lubken to move to the side or get onto the train. Some witnesses say the driver was motioning for Lubken to get out of the way and others say it looked like he wanted her to get on board.
Lubken then went to the side of the train and tried to open the doors using the buttons outside, witnesses say. They say the train started moving, and Lubken was caught underneath one of the cars.
"I seen him gesture her like this and 'go around,' so as she gets to the side of the train, she starts to press the button and the train starts moving," Ruthie Landrum told 9NEWS. "She starts like spinning on the train, kinda like hitting the side of the train. And by the time the second car gets there, she bumps into the pole and just falls."
RTD officials initially told 9NEWS the light rail is not supposed to let people on and off at 24th and Welton, which is near the 20th and Welton station, even if the train is stopped. A neighbor told 9NEWS the light rail lets people on and off at the intersection all the time when the light rail is delayed.
While 9NEWS was at the scene, our cameras saw trains stop several times at 24th and Welton, letting people on and off at the site.
"I've been able to get off plenty of times here," Landrum said.
Later, after 9NEWS told RTD spokesperson Daria Serna about our video of people getting on and off the train at the intersection, she said it is up to the light rail operators' discretion and they may allow passengers to get off the train when it's stopped for a long period of time.
RTD says it will review the incident, as it does after every accident.
Since the site at 24th and Welton was created in the mid-90s there have only been five accidents, including Tuesday's. Tuesday's incident was the only deadly accident at the location.
RTD was not cited for the four previous accidents. RTD says it will review its process for allowing operators to let people on and off in undesignated spots after this most recent incident.
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